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True Democrat’, Saraki, Tambuwal, Ibori, Others Remember Yar’Adua 14 Years After
Fourteen years after his passing, friends and political associates of the late Katsina-born politician reminisced about the impact and legacy of the late President.
Chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday, showered glowing tributes on the late ex-President Umaru Yar’Adua 14 years after his passing.
Yar’Adua was Katsina State’s governor in Nigeria’s North-West geopolitical zone from May 1999 to May 2007. He won the 2007 presidential election and was sworn in to succeed his partyman, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Yar’Adua was Nigeria’s President from May 2007 to May 2010 when he died of an undisclosed illness at 58. Following his death, his deputy and ex-Bayelsa State governor Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as President.
Fourteen years after his passing, friends and political associates of the late Katsina-born politician reminisced about the impact and legacy of the late President.
Aminu Tambuwal, a former Governor of Sokoto State who currently represents Sokoto South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, described the late Yar’Adua as a “true democrat”.
“The late President Yar’Adua was a man of strong character who deeply respected the rule of law. He was a patriot who believed in institutionalizing democracy and, more importantly, in the unity of Nigeria,” he wrote on X.
In life, some moments are memorable, while others are truly historic.
For Nigeria and its people, May 5, 2010, was both a memorable and historic day.
It was the day when a true democrat and leader, His Excellency Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, GCFR, a man of great humility, vision,… pic.twitter.com/u7ZJx8BjG8
— Aminu W. Tambuwal (@AWTambuwal) May 5, 2024
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki said, “Today, I remember what he stood for and how he worked towards it. I remember his focus on building strong institutions—so that the very DNA of our democracy would be founded on laws and best practices, not on the whims of men.”
Every year, on the 5th of May, when the nation pauses to honour the memory of our late President, His Excellency, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, I take some time to reflect on the memory of my friend.
Today, I remember what he stood for and how he worked towards it. I remember his focus… pic.twitter.com/QhEDcxjLf1
— Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) May 5, 2024
A former Senator who represented Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, said the late President “lived a simple life and made life easier and better for the downtrodden in the country”.
President Umaru Yar’adua died fourteen years ago;the fond memories of him was how he lived a simple life and made life easier and better for the downtrodden in the country.He was largely appreciated after he died,and the masses fell into the hands of subsequent leaders.
— Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) May 5, 2024
The late President’s brother and Senator representing Katsina Central in the National Assembly, Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, said his late sibling was “an exceptional leader and an icon of democracy”.
“It has already been 14 years since the passing of my late brother and also a second father to me, the former President Umar Musa Yar’Adua. In his blessed memory, he was an exceptional leader and an icon of democracy. May Allah reward him with Aljannatul-Firdaus. Ameen!” pic.twitter.com/W6eZap9DAF
— Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua (@SenatorYaradua) May 5, 2024
Former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, said, “Though his tenure was cut tragically short, Yar’Adua’s commitment to upholding the rule of law, fighting corruption, and fostering dialogue across all regions left an enduring legacy. ”
Today marks a solemn 14 years since the passing of President Musa Yar’Adua, a leader who strived tirelessly for the unity and progress of our great nation. Though his tenure was cut tragically short, Yar’Adua’s commitment to upholding the rule of law, fighting corruption, and… pic.twitter.com/1U33MPxYY3
— James Onanefe Ibori (@JamesIbori6) May 5, 2024
The Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda, convened a prayer day in honour of the memory of the late President, the governor’s aide, Isah Miqdad, said on X.
The Executive Governor of Katsina State, Mal Dikko Umaru Radda, has convened today the commemoration and prayer day of the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, may he rest in peace.
The annual event took place in the Presidential Banquet… pic.twitter.com/MZAVtFERwo
— Isah Miqdad (@Miqdad_Jnr) May 5, 2024
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the sudden death of Mr. Abubakar Lawal, a Nigerian professional footballer, in Uganda.
In a statement by the Acting Spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa on Tuesday in Abuja, the ministry expressed its profound sorrow over the tragic loss and extended heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, teammates, and the entire Nigerian football community.
Lawal, a former Nigerian Under-20 International, was a key player for Uganda’s Vipers Football Club at the time of his death. In addition to his sporting career, he was also a final-year Business Administration student at Cavendish University.
According to Ebienfa, officials have been in contact with the Nigerian High Commission in Kampala, which is coordinating closely with local Ugandan authorities to determine the circumstances surrounding Lawal’s untimely demise.
Also a thorough investigation is underway, including an autopsy to verify the cause of death, with full consular assistance being provided to his family.
The ministry also underscored Nigeria’s strong bilateral relations with Uganda, expressing confidence that the Ugandan authorities will handle the investigation with utmost seriousness and sensitivity. The public has been urged to refrain from speculation and allow the investigation to proceed unhindered.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed its commitment to safeguarding the welfare and rights of Nigerian citizens abroad as it continues to monitor the situation closely. The loss of Abubakar Lawal marks a somber moment for the nation, and his contributions both on and off the field will be deeply missed.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Unrelenting Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has dragged Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, through the court for what she described as defamatory statement against her person.
The Senator, representing Kogi Central in the upper chamber, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), raised concerns after her Senate seat was reassigned following a reshuffle triggered by opposition members switching to the majority Caucus.
She resisted the relocation, leading to a confrontation between her and the Senate President.
However, in a suit filed before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on 25 February 2025, the President of the Senate, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate President, Mfon Patrick, were listed as the second and third defendants.
In the suit, marked CV/737/25, Akpoti-Uduaghan, through her lawyer, Victor Giwa, Natasha alleged that defamatory statements were made by the Senate President and published by his aide on Facebook.
According to him, the post, entitled “Is the Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?” included a statement suggesting that Akpoti-Uduaghan believed being a lawmaker was only about “pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers.”
Giwa argued that the statement was defamatory, provocative, and disparaging, lowering his client’s dignity in the eyes of her colleagues and the public.
She asked the court to make “A declaration that the words, ‘It is bottled anger by the Kogi lawmaker, who knows nothing about legislative rules. She thinks being a lawmaker is all about pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers,’ used and written by the third defendant at the prompting of the first and second defendants, were defamatory and intended to cause public opprobrium and disaffection toward the claimant.”
She also urged the court to restrain the defendants and their associates from making further defamatory statements against her on any platform.
The plaintiff also asked the court for “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, whether acting by themselves or through their agents, privies, assigns, or associates, from further publishing or causing to be published the said defamatory words or any similar publications about the claimant on social media or in any other manner capable of defaming her.”
Furthermore, Akpoti-Uduaghan asked the court to order the defendants to pay her N100 billion in general damages and N300 million as litigation costs.
“An order for the payment of the sum of N100,000,000,000 as general damages. An order for the payment of the sum of N300,000,000 as the cost of action,” she prayed the court.
By Gloria Ikibah
The South East Caucus in the House of Representatives has urged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to reconsider the closure of the Onitsha Bridgehead Medicine Market in Anambra State.
Leader of the caucus, Rep. Igariwey Enwo, who made the plea at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, strongly cocondemned the activities of traders dealing in fake and substandard drugs, and said the continued lockdown of the market was having widespread negative effects.
Naijablitznews.com recalled that NAFDAC had recently sealed over 4,000 shops in Onitsha, 3,027 in Lagos, and another 4,000 in Aba as part of its nationwide crackdown on counterfeit and substandard medicines.
The Agency last week had said the markets remains lockdown.
Rep. Igariwey denounced those involved in the sale and distribution of fake and adulterated medications, describing them as “merchants of death and economic saboteurs” whose activities not only endanger public health but have also led to loss of lives.
He also commended NAFDAC for taking decisive action against these illegal operators but urged the agency to ensure that innocent and law-abiding traders are not unfairly punished alongside the culprits.
The caucus stressed that sealing the entire market has far-reaching consequences, particularly for medicine users in the South East and South-South regions, where the market serves as a major pharmaceutical hub.
The caucus therefore called for a targeted approach that prosecutes offenders while allowing legitimate businesses to continue operating.
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